Man mastered the art of flying before he mastered snow travel. Flying
came to be in 1903. The first
machine to move on top of the snow was
made in 1909. The machine was made by a man named O.C. Johnson.
The machine was ten feet long and was basically a model "T" ford with skis and a track. the
design was crude and inconsistent.
In 1922, Armand Bombardier (the
name might be familiar from his company, bombardier.) just 15 at
the time, designed a sleigh with a model "T" engine. This was a crude
design but there would be much greater developments to come from Mr.
Bombardier.
The most interesting thing about
snowmobiles is the engine originated from a Johnson outboard motor. The
design was originally on a toboggan with a rope to steer the skis. The machine today
was designed by a man named
David Johnson, a lead man in the development and growth of Polaris
industries. His partner, Edgar Hatteen, told
him to scrap his early designs, so he did. The first machine was sold,
but since it was a product of their company, it was warrantied. the
next machine was made just to tow the first one out of the woods. the
sleek design was born.
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